No socializing for three weeks.

[Tony Ramirez]

I mean in person. It's going to be that virtual crap which does not count as I am at home with all the distractions and annoyances. My friend went away for two weeks, so I won't be able to hang out at his house with other people. Before you say anything I am not worried about Covid or the crap that comes with it.

Before that we hung out on Sunday and finished watching with friends LOTR. We also talked and played games on Thursday. Now my other friend does not want to meet in person. He said we will meet in person when the weather get's warmer as he has a deck.

I am asking as many here with ASD avoid socializing but for me, I want to socialize with people and find it empty and alone when I can't. Virtual is a poor substitute that just drains me more. I guess all those lonely days in High School and when I dropped out of College made me want to crave company of others more.

My friend has a planned trip to Long Island I am looking forward too so we are going to be doing things its just the three weeks of fake meetups is going to make me more depressed.

 

[OkRad]

Zoom is terrible draining. That is the best word. I hate it. I also miss people. It's an awful feeling and making me have bouts of serious depression.

 

[Tony Ramirez]

I hate Zoom. I want to uninstall it from all my devices but I am forced to leave that crap installed.

 

[Fino]

I'm so sorry. That sounds awful.

 

[Misery]

Unfortunately, this is just how things are right now.

It's far, FAR more important to stay safe... and keep others safe... rather than to do something that you could very likely end up regretting forever.

This accursed situation is nothing to take lightly, after all. A few people in my extended family have caught the blasted thing, including my nephew (who is a toddler). And the rest of us have to be REALLY careful, not just for ourselves, but because of my grandparents; if they were to catch it from anyone, it's pretty much 100% guaranteed that it'd kill them both. With their age and deteriorating health, they're very much at risk.

Honestly I dont like being stuck having to avoid so many things any more than anyone else does. I havent seen my closest friend in... well, just about a year now... and I cant do some things that I would usually do, like travelling. It is... irritating, to put it mildly.

But dagnabit, I have to do it. Them's the rules.

Granted it IS possible to meet with others in very small groups as long as you're super careful and follow ALL the precautions without even the slightest exception. But, the slightest mistake can spell disaster there.

One way or another, we all are in the same badly designed boat.


Also yes, Zoom is stupid. I dont get the appeal. I already hate phones as it is, why would I want to do THAT?

 

[Sherlock77]

I don't like Zoom either, but it's the only way to have meetings these days

I do connect once a week over Zoom with a Bible study group in our church, it's not the best but it's better than nothing... I still feel less isolated with that weekly virtual gathering than if I don't do it all...

 

[Suzanne]

Since I do not socialise anyway, it is actually no big deal for me.

I do find zoom difficult, but I do not use video, so that is less stressful and also, I put my device or laptop on small screen, so that the participants are not overwhelming to me and sometimes, I have my chosen picture up ( not of me), so that helps to neutralise the effects of too many faces.

 

[Sherlock77]

Things I've been learning about Zoom, and other similar software (there are other ones too)

1) Where it's a webinar with lots of people, they usually request that you both mute your microphone and turn off your video, it simply allows everyone to focus on the speaker better... Generally questions and interaction are handled through the chat function, or when the talk is finished, you can sometimes open up everything to directly interact with the speaker... In other words you can be silent the entire time...

2) Some gatherings, depending on the nature of it and the size, are effective using smaller thumbnail videos of everyone, at least to yourself you don't stand out as much

3) There are settings to control what you see, you can just view the speaker, or even turn off the video for the speaker... I often/usually just have the speaker's video on, it helps me to see the them talking, at least for me

4) For my weekly Bible study there are only six of us, so that is a live video for everyone, but it's only a small group with a strong connection anyway

5) I also am on the executive for my camera club, those executive meetings have to be on Zoom right now (once a month), I dislike the Zoom aspect of those meetings but not much I can do about that, except somehow find a cure for Covid

6) If you know you will be on video for the Zoom meeting, watch your background as much as you can, and one for me is that I will always wear pants or shorts and a proper shirt... I only say this one because most of the day when inside the house I'm wearing sweat pants and often sweat shirt (note: I do live on my own, so no one else sees me but myself)... For Zoom (and video) I dress the way I would if I was actually going to the meeting in person...

7) I may have forgotten something, but the biggest thing is that you have lots of controls, and I think all of us (even NT's) are looking forward to meetings and seminars that take place in person, I know I am

 

[Tony Ramirez]

Tired of hearing is it safe. What safe. I am not going to go outside then drop dead from the air. I don't even call this thing a real pandemic. A real pandemic is like that Steven King book The Stand that kills 99% of the population. This so called pandemic kills less than 1% and most are fine. So no I am not worried one bit about catching this thing but I am ticked off that we are still using Zoom, Webex with my therapist and we don't meet in person. But at least my other friend named James is not so paranoid unlike my friend Justin and actually have get togethers.